District Disaster Management Plan District Kech, Balochistan - NDMA

Overview of the District
Overview of the District
Kech district is one of the largest districts in the province; it has the second largest population after
Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan. When Makran district was given the status of a division and was
divided into three districts, Kech was notified as a district, with its name as Turbat, on July 1, 1977. In
1994-95, the name of Turbat district was changed to its old name, i.e., Kech. The district is called Kech
while Turbat town is its headquarters. The total area of Kech district is 22,539 square kilometers. The
district comprises of four tehsils, Turbat, Buleda, Dasht and Tump.
1.1 Topography
Kech district is located from 25° -24¢ to 26° -39¢ north latitudes and from 61° -49¢ to 64° -31¢ east
longitudes. Kech is one of the border districts of Balochistan. It is surrounded on the north by Panjgur
district and on the east by Awaran district, on the south by Gwadar district, and on the west by Iran. The
district is mountainous in its feature. Kech district lies between two important mountain ranges, i.e. the
Makran Coast range, which separates it from Gwadar district in the south and the Central Makran range,
which separates it from Panjgur district in the north. The elevation of the district ranges between 100 to
1400 meters above sea level. Most of the western part of the district is relatively at a low elevation
compared to the eastern one. The Kech valley is famous for its hot weather. The major rivers and streams
of Kech district include Dasht River, Nihing River, Basol River, Kech kaur, Gish kaur, and Kil kaur.
SECTION 1
1.2. Climate
Kech district has a dry hot climate. It is categorized as "hot summer and mild winter" temperature region.
According to the Pakistan Metrological Department data, Kech district annual mean maximum
temperature remains at 36.1° C while the annual mean minimum temperature 20.3° C and mean
temperature in winter is 11. 6° C.
Summer is not merely hot but also long. Summer continues from March to November; however winter
begins from December and continues till February. June is the hottest while January is the coldest month.
The overall monthly temperature in the hottest month remains above 32° C. However, the highest
temperature at Turbat ever recorded is 44.8° C in 1982. In the coldest month, January, the monthly
temperature remains in between 10° C to 21° C. sometimes it drops below 10 ° C. In winter a cold wind,
locally called gorich, makes the environment as of a hill station. Although in rare comes, sometimes the
temperature reaches at 0° C specially when there are strong gorich winds.
1.3 Annual Mean Rainfall
The only data available by the Pakistan Meteorological Department is of 1998 published in 1999 census
report. In that year total annual rainfall was 109 millimeters at Turbat. This data confirms the “dry arid”
climatic category of the area. Winter rainfall provides irrigation water for Rabi crops, i.e., wheat, barley,
bakla, and masoor. Sometimes traffic across the streams discontinues due to floods resulting from
rainfall.
1.4 Soils
The soil of Kech district is of two types. Western and central parts of the district consist of alluvial soil
whereas the remaining mountainous land is made of rock outcrops, lithosols, and rigosols. However in the
west, wide basins of Dasht and Nihing rivers surrounded by hills and mountains are covered with alluvial
soils. The foothills are covered with talus cones and alluvial fans generally composed of gravel, pebbles,
and sands. Beyond the foothills, the valley floors are covered with silt and loam. Kolwa and Dasht valleys
are the largest un-irrigated tracts in Makran.
Such other tracts include Buleda, Balgattar, Nigwar, and Kech valleys. These are fertile soils of great
agricultural value. In some areas, soil erosion through wind is a potent threat to agriculture. Because, the
1 Kech District Census Report 1998, Population Census Organization, GOP, 1999
2 Kech ( Formerly Turbat): A District Profile, Bureau of Statistics, Planning Department GOB,[ Undated]
3 District Census Report 1998
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